1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydraulically damping rubber support comprising an inner part, an outer part which is arranged concentrically or eccentrically to the latter at a distance therefrom, and a rubber part arranged between the inner part and the outer part and having at least one chamber filled with damping medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art rubber supports in which a rubber part is inserted between an inner part and an outer tube arranged at a distance therefrom are disclosed, for example, in German reference DE 196 40 531 A1 with at least one chamber filled with damping medium being arranged in this rubber part. Rubber supports of this kind are used in motor vehicle suspensions where they are intended to damp or decouple noise so that high-frequency vibrations excited by the vehicle""s engine are not transmitted to the vehicle suspension. These rubber supports have a low spring rate. Moreover, applications of rubber supports are also known in which the flexible rubber part has a high spring rate to ensure sufficient damping during vehicle braking maneuver. However, the known rubber supports can only be used to solve one of the above-mentioned problems at a time.
It is the object of the invention to provide a hydraulically damping rubber support which satisfactorily decouples noise and simultaneously has a high spring rate to ensure sufficient damping during vehicle braking maneuvers.
To achieve this object, the rubber support according to the invention includes first and second tubular component with each of the first and second tubular components having a flexible rubber part, forming inner and outer parts which are connected in parallel or in series.
The advantage with this inventive embodiment is that two very different tasks are virtually divided between two distinct rubber supports and that a single overall support is created by nesting the two supports. In this arrangement, the two supports may be connected in parallel or in series, so that after an appropriate deflection of the soft support, the hard support is then subjected to loading.
According to another embodiment example, at least one of the first and second rubber supports is provided with an internal or external stop. The advantages here are that the progression of the brake characteristic may be varied by hard or soft stops in the hard support and that the point at which the hard support comes into action may be determined by the hard or soft stops in the soft support.
In a further embodiment, stop may act in either the radial or the axial direction.
To obtain another damping option in the second support, the further support comprises a chamber filled with damping medium.
Damping or restriction or the provision of a bypass between two chambers filled with damping medium is provided by connecting at least two chambers filled with damping medium via at least one fluid-medium connection.
To match different operating ranges by the first and second rubber supports, provision is made for the rubber support and the further support to be designed with different spring rates.
Further possible variations in the support characteristics may be achieved if rigid and/or flexible stops are provided as stops.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.